Washington, April 23, 2024 (AFP)
The US Senate was marching toward a late Tuesday vote to green-light major military aid for Ukraine, a much-awaited package that includes assistance for Israel and Taiwan and sets the stage to ban social media app TikTok.
Passage of the bill, strongly backed by President Joe Biden, is all but certain after the House of Representatives approved the assistance with broad bipartisan support following months of tense wrangling.
"Let us not keep our friends around the world waiting for a moment longer," said top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, whose party narrowly controls the chamber.
"The time has come to finish the job."
A congressional source told AFP that final adoption of the text was "possible" on Tuesday, but nothing was guaranteed and debate on the legislation may drag into Wednesday.
"The task before us is urgent," said top Republican Mitch McConnell, calling on the Senate to "make history."
The final package outlines a whopping $95 billion in total military assistance to US allies, including money for Israel and Taiwan alongside the $61 billion earmarked for Ukraine.
The text also contains a measure to ban TikTok if it does not soon cut ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
The popular app has come under scrutiny from lawmakers accusing it of being under Chinese government influence, while supporters have decried a ban as a free speech infringement.
The Senate vote should go more smoothly, without having to deal with the complicated negotiations and disagreements that plagued the Republican-controlled House.
Biden promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call Monday that Kyiv could expect the assistance to arrive "quickly," as they struggle against Russia's invasion.
The Pentagon is making the aid a top priority, with a spokesperson telling reporters Tuesday it could "deliver aid within days."
Ukraine's military is facing a severe shortage of weapons and new recruits as Moscow exerts constant pressure from the east.
And frontline circumstances are expected to worsen in the coming weeks, with Ukrainian intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov predicting a "rather difficult situation" beginning mid-May.
- Security investment -
Zelensky, after speaking with Biden, said the aid shipment will strengthen Ukraine's air defense as well as "long-range and artillery capabilities."
The debate over Ukraine assistance has highlighted wide divisions between Democrats and Republicans in Congress -- but it has also revealed deep fissures within the conservative movement ahead of November's presidential match-up between Biden and Donald Trump.
Biden and the Democrats frame Ukraine aid as an investment in US security against Russian aggression.
But Republicans have been wary of sending funds overseas, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has spent much of his six-month tenure blocking a vote on economic and military aid for Ukraine.
He told reporters how he finally came around: "To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys. My son is going to begin in the Naval Academy this fall."
In addition to money for Ukraine, the package earmarks $13 billion for Israel, which is locked in a war with Hamas; more than $9 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and elsewhere; and $8 billion in military support for Taiwan as it faces down China.

Sumber : AFP